Rotorua has just received a $1 million grant to construct its new human waste processing plant.
New Zealand Environment Minister Nick Smith announced that the funding would be granted to the council from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund. Making a statement at Scion yesterday, the Minister said that the project would benefit both Rotorua and the country overall. He added that the nation prided itself in using methods that were 100 per cent pure and said that Rotorua would have a challenge in that a large portion of the population lives away from the coast.
The minister further said that New Zealand would need to deal with its waste in a more sustainable manner, stating that the new project between Rotorua District Council and Scion, dubbed Waste 2 Gold, would be a step in the right direction. Waste 2 Gold uses technology capable of breaking down human waste to produce useful chemicals such as fertilisers and methane gas for energy.
Developed by Scion originally for forestry waste, it has the potential to decrease the percentage of organic waste diverted to landfill each year by 8,500 tonnes. The overall move to this new type of organic waste disposal could save the council up to $900,000 per year. The pilot plant is anticipated to be ready by January and will be built on the same site as the council’s waste water treatment plant.
Scion chief executive, Tom Richardson said that the government’s level of commitment, evidenced by its investment level, shows that the technology has enormous potential. He added that the project will finally allow the firm to bring the science out of the laboratory and run a full-scale project plant.
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